HWS News
30 June 2025 Un-required Reading
Looking for your next summer read? Look no further! Librarian for Service Access Jennifer Schlossberg and members of the The Warren Hunting Smith Library asked for recommendations from faculty, students and staff to provide the HWS and Geneva community with some (Un)Required Reading this summer!
Fiction Picks
By Tommy Orange
Recommended by: Alexandria Hanson, Writing Colleagues Program Director
"Each chapter in the book is written from the perspective of a different character, yet Orange has this beautiful way of showing how they are all interconnected through his poetic writing and rich description."
Find this book in the library's collection.
Also available as an eBook or audiobook through Libby/Overdrive.
By Stephen King
Recommended by: Louise Bond, Accounts Coordinator
“Made me think of what I would do in that situation."
Find this book in the library's collection.
Also available as an audiobook.
By Ulla-Lena Lundberg
Recommended by: Ruth Benedict GP '22, Director of the Emerson Society Program and Annual Giving
"Beautifully written, a unique community in Finland, with a surprise that takes your breath away. This book lingers with you after you finish it."
Request this item through Interlibrary Loan.
By Peter Heller
Recommended by Louise Bond, Library Accounts Coordinator
"Dystopian fiction."
Find this book in the library's collection.
By Jean Hanff Korelitz
Recommended by: Jennifer Schlossberg, Access Services Librarian
"A great read for those who like character-driven novels. An added bonus for me was that some of the book was set in familiar locations in Ithaca and on Cornell's campus."
Request this title through Interlibrary Loan, or check your local public library (Geneva Public Library has a copy!)
By Professor of International Relations Kevin Dunn
Recommended by: Lisa Gibson, Access Services Coordinator
"Written by HWS professor Kevin Dunn, this YA Novel is a great read for adults as well! It's powerful, emotional, politically-relevant, community-driven, it's punk-rock."
"...a must-read for anyone who has ever felt like a misfit and found solace in books and music." - Jennifer Whiteford, author of Grrrl.
Find this book in the library's collection.
By Lucy Foley
Recommended by: Gabby Labare, Outreach and Engagement Librarian
"Fast paced with twists and turns you don’t expect."
Available on Libby/Overdrive.
Also available as an audiobook.
By Ali Hazelwood
Recommended by: Catherine Morse Jahna, Access Services Specialist
"Something a little more fun and light, if you're in the market for a quick beach read— read at your own risk."
Nonfiction Picks
By Donald Edward Davis
Recommended by: Chuck Vesei, Library Director and Librarian
"This book chronicles the evolution of the [chestnut] tree and how it rose to prominence as a food source and in the lumber industry with special emphasis on the chain of events as the chestnut blight took hold."
Find this book in the library's collection.
By Cheryl Strayed
Recommended by: Professor of Psychological Science Julie Kingery
"This memoir offers a mix of inspiration, humor, and poignancy. Highly recommend!"
By Michael Pollan
Recommended by: Associate Professor of Asian Studies James-Henry Holland
"Science-ish, but accessible. Takes four plants (including apples and marijuana), and talks about how those plants have co-evolved with humans. Cornell's apple research (done right here in Geneva!) makes a cameo appearance. Easy to read in little bites, and enjoyably written."
Find this book in the library's collection.
By Walter Benjamin
Recommended by: Andrew Pilet '26
"A lovely collection of vignettes and short reflections about childhood, place, and history by probably one of the greatest philosophical-lyrical writers who has lived."
Request this title through Interlibrary Loan.
By Elizabeth Kolbert
Recommended by: Catherine Morse Jahna, Access Services Specialist
"Very readable and digestible nonfiction that weaves together personal anecdotes with hard-hitting facts about the five great extinctions in Earth's history— leaves you feeling a little existential."
Find this book in the library's collection.
By Elyse Graham
Recommended by: Sarah O'Shea, Research and Instruction Librarian
"The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to today’s CIA, was quickly formed at the start of WWII and, in an effort to fill its ranks with experts, the OSS turned to academia for recruits. I enjoyed learning about the unexpected role that my fellow librarians and academics had in WWII and the impact they had on the war effort. Resistance can come in many forms."
